Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-18
WITH ORIENTAL SPLENDOR.
The Coming Visit to This City Of Mecca
Temple Of the Mystic Shrine.

7 WITH ORIENTAL SPLENDOR.
The Coming Visit to This City Of Mecca
Temple Of the Mystic shrine.
HOW THE ORDER WAS INTRODUCED INTO AMERICA
AN INCIDENT OF BATTLE FIELD-RICHNESs OF
THE PARAPHRRNALIA UsED-THH AUTHOR OF "HoNR,
SWEET HOME" sHRINER.
Mention was made In, THE STAR a few days ago
OF the coming to this city OF Mecca Temple OF New
York city OF the Ancient and Arabic Order Of the
Mobiles OF the Mystic Shrine which is to take place
on the evening Of Thursday next, the visitors
being entertained by the members OF Almas
Temple OF Washington. Mecca Temple on this
occasion will act as escort to the Imperial Grand
Potentate OF the fraternity, Sam Briggs OF Cleve-
land, Ohio, who will be accompanied by his full
stan of officers OF the Imperial Council Besides
the New Workers, fully two hundred strong,
number OF Mobiles are expected from Philadelphia,
Baltimore and other cities. Boum Temple Of Bal
t1more, under whose auspices the order was started
In this city year ago, will be represented GER
ta1nly by large delegation OF its members. The
paraphernalia which Mecca Temple will use in the
exempnhcatiOn OF the ritual OF the order Is very
elaborate and costly, several thousand dollars
having been expended in its preparation. 1t Will
DE brought on in advance OF the visitors them
selves in order to allow OF time to put the stage
meeting in the evening When everything is in
readiness National Rifles Armory which has been
engaged for the occasion, because OF the large
number who are expected to be In attendance,
scarcely another hall In the city being suitable,
will present verttable scene from the ORIENT and
one might easily imagine himself transported to
some gorgeous court or shrine In the East. large
class OF candidates have already been elected to
receive the degree on the night in question. The
and the visitors from New York viii be Wizards
hotel where the concluding exercises OF the even
Ing take place. The pilgrims come on special
train, Which is expected to land them in Washing
ton by O'clock in the evening. when they will be
received by AlmaS Temple and escorted TO the
arnory. They will leave on the day following, a
parade under the escort OF AlmaS Temple and
headed by the Marine band, being first made OF
the principal streets, ending at the Baltimore and
Potomac depot, where the visitors take their train
again and speed on their way to Richmond.
THE ORIGIN OF THE ORDER
at Mecca in $50 and its objects and purposes have
already been alluded to in previous article. In
stituted under Mohammedan auspices, there is
scarcely city OF Importance which came under
the sway OF that religion which does not now
possess Temple OF the order In the Temple at
Jerusalem are found the heads OF the great Chris
tfan SectS, the coDSuls OF the various powers
represented there, seventeen II all, and host OF
educated ; and refined men, leaders, many gifted
elers from nearly every country on the face OF the
globe. The present Khedive OF Egypt and all the
prominent members OF his court are members
The Emperor OF Russia is also enrolled as Noble
and Is held In high favor among his fellows in the
East. The Temple at Mecca is venerated as the
first In Importance, Jerusalem being second, and
Damascus third. The meetings at the latter city
are held monthly, and the records Of the Organi-
cation there have been kept with very few inter-
missions for over twelve centuries dating from A.
d. 657. AT Alexandria, Egypt, the members OF
the order meet In the ancient palace Of the Ptole
mics, now partly remodeled for offices and lodge
rooms. On the days OF high festivals it has been
the custom there for some centuries to hold a
solemn conclave In one OF the great temples
OF ancient Egypt, the mystic rites being per-
formed under the stony eyes of the sculptured
gods and the painted heroes OF the golden age OF
the Nile kings Probably at no place in the world
are the ceremonies OF the shrine so brilliant as
those exempltf1ed by the mobiles at Alexandria.
Their robes and atars urnS and scimeters, korans,
scepters, creScents, slaves, caskets, maliets and
spears are all hoary with age, Respondent with
historic jewels and matchless gens-all having
halo OF splendid association and memory about
by figures or enhanced by forid description.
Costly gems can be bought anywhere for money,
but pSoS gem gen fet 4nse ana f N 6oS
celebrated queen cannot be purchased for gold.
Such a gem, according to Hon. John Worthington,
andria have set in the handle OF a certain mace.
Their battle axes. gongs, goblets. etc, each pos
sesses not only material but also grand and we'll
proved historic value OF great antiquity.
BROUGHT HERE BY FLORENCE, THE ACTOR.
The order owes its introduction into the United
States to William j. Florence, the actor who is
Mason OF prominence. In september, 1870, he
was in the city OF Marsetlles, France, and having
! occasion to can on Duncan, Sherman Co.,
clerks that there Was to be ceremony OF an url-
usually attractive character at a hall near the
Grand Hotel de rUnivers, and being known to the
clerk as Mason was invited to be present. His
curiosity was excited by the glowing hints as to
the oriental wonders to be seen there, and he at
tended the meeting and was initiated into the An
cient and Arabic Order OF the MOBILES of the Mystic
shrine. The order was introduced in America in
1871, with the restriction that only Masons Oh the
were deemed able, because OF their previous in
Structicn, TO fully understand the teachings OF the
mysteries unloided. MECCA Temple which Is TO
the frs; one organized in this country. An I'm
periai Grand Council OF the order for the United
States Of Ameri a was proclaimed June g. 1876,
since which time Temples have been established
in nearly every state III the uuiOn only being
| allowed In city, and then only at the most inl-
portant centelS OF population. AS promoted in
this country and in Europe and other parts OF the
world where christianity prevails the order is de-
void OF IsamisIn and is i'll harmony with christian
and its future brilliant. The emblem worn Dy its
members resembles crescent. The crescent is
plate OF gold, upon one side OF which is represented
| u female sphynx upon the other side a pyramid,
an urn, star, and, besides the date OF 1nStitu-
| ton, the legend, .'Robur ct Furor."
The Shrine is referred to by the Moslelns gener-
rally as 'sThe Order Of the Unwitten Law" In dis
junction from the written Law" which is the
Koran. The ritual now in use is a translation
from the original Arabic, found preserved in the
81 th IN $500 to Ionp %y Rl
Allah HaSSoOn Edendee, Who was the author OF
several import ant works in Arabic. The renowned
Abd-el- kader In speaking or the manner in which
the ritual is exempltf1ed in this country wrote
few years ago follows; II am gratined with the
pride OF knowledge that the precepts OF this
cherished order have already become accepted,
and its virtues and its powers recognized In the
western hemisphere. May success and continu-
ance prevail with you and yours. POpu-
late your sanctuarieS with the good the upright
and the Just. Honor the worthy, select the men OF
science and art, dignitaries men OF rank, high off,
Gals and superior class for officials In power and
men OF character and worth for the ail.pOWerfuI
mass OF memberhOod." When rendered 1ntelli-
gently the ritual imparts beautiful and impress
sive ceremony that needs no establishment, con-
veys no obscure sentiment and is at once ali that
could be desired as an authentic translation.
AN INCIDENT AT TEB.
Consul WOrthingt0n, who has already been men,
toned as member OF the order and gives glow
ing description OF the ceremonies at Alexandria,
relates an authentic incident which occurred at
the first battle OF Teb, In the Soudan. Ahmed
Enendi Kadri was Turkish soldier OF fortune
whose love for the excitement and strife OF battle
arose more from a desire for diversion than from
thirst for blood. Fighting was a paStime to him
and from youth he had wandered frOm tribe to
tribe through Arabia, volunteering wherever and
whenever conflicts were imminent. He was a
stalwart believer In Islam, and performed his re-
ligiOus duties piOusly. He was an officer under
forces OF Gen. Baker Pasha, OF unsavory English
railway reputation. While the conduct of Bakers
Egyptian troops was such at that battle Teb) that
humanity'S cheek mantled with shame at the
story, there were, here and there among Bakers
officers men OF undoubued courage and chiv-
was Badawy MahmOod, Bashi-Bazook OF
lOcai FIGHTING fame who during tho hattie